Two stories from opposite ends of the world highlight looming dangers for New Zealand.

Peaceful Protest. Rigs. Armed response. Seized ships. Risky oil. These are the topics that have been dominating our week. In case you missed it, 30 Greenpeace activists (including two Kiwis) have been detained and held under armed guard in the Russian Arctic this week (to catch up on all that’s been happening, check out this timeline). They were there trying to keep the Arctic oil free and protesting at Gazprom's frankly shockingly unsafe attempts to extract the first oil from those icy waters.

It's been quite hectic here trying to do everything we can to support our activists on the other side of the world. It's certainly a strange experience to be so involved in something going on over 15,000km a...

From peaceful action to dramatic seizure: a timeline of events since the Arctic Sunrise took action September 18 (CET).

September 18, 2013

02.34 - Four inflatables leave the Arctic Sunrise heading towards Gazprom's oil platform, thePrirazlomnaya. Activists attempt to climb and establish themselves on the outside structure of the platform to protest against imminent drilling.

They are here to peacefully protest against the Arctic oil rush, which threatens grave harm to the Arctic environment, as well as extracting more oil that humanity cannot afford to burn. ThePrirazlomnaya is the first oil rig to start oil production in the ice-filled waters of the Arctic. Safety culture on the rig is a joke.

25 activists, including two Kiwis, have been arrested by armed Russian Coast Guard. The crew of the Arctic Sunrise had been peacefully protesting against risky drilling at an oil rig in the Arctic when the Russian Coast Guard, using helicopters and ropes, illegally boarded and detained the activists.

Greenpeace International activists locked inside the radio room of the boat said they saw the activists held on their knees with guns pointed at them. Earlier on Wednesday, the Coast Guard had arrested and held without charge two Greenpeace activists who had scaled Gazprom’s drill platform.

The head of Greenpeace International Kumi Naidoo said:

“This illegal boarding of a peaceful protest ship highlights the extreme lengths that the Russian government will go to to keep Gazprom’s dangerous...